Los Angeles Clippers forward Elton Brand ruptured his left Achilles tendon during his usual workout routine.
Achilles tendon injuries typically sideline NBA players for at least a year, which would theoretically threaten Brand’s availability for all of the 2007-08 season.
But ESPN.com’s Marc Stein reports that the Clippers have received a preliminary medical indication that Brand will be sidelined only six months. If so, Brand would be in line for a comeback in February.
The Clippers are already a bubble playoff team in the West, and this injury all but ruins the team’s season. Without their best player, they don’t have much of a chance to stay afloat until his potential comeback in February. It’s a shame when this happens to anyone, but it’s especially tough when it happens to a class act such as Brand. The league will miss his competitiveness and hustle this season.
